This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Modern automotive vehicles may be equipped with a telematics system, which must be activated prior to the vehicle being sold to a customer. Activating such telematics systems may involve separately verifying operation and readiness of telematics sub-systems of the telematics system, such as a voice guidance system, a message exchange system and a user interface. Manipulation of buttons on a consul or control panel within the interior of a vehicle may be involved. Such manipulation of buttons may be time consuming when a large number of vehicles exist at a single location and/or activation of any telematics subsystem fails during an attempted activation. Activation may take place at a port of vehicle import, a factory parking lot, or a dealer vehicle center, as examples.